Even if you’re not a theater geek, this should still be fun to watch, especially if you’re an artist yourself, and know what it’s like to compete on any level.

PBS is heading to Broadway in a 3-hour primetime documentary series that tracks the real life stories of America’s top high school musical performers, all vying in the ultimate competition to find the nation’s best young theater stars.

Part competition, part performance, and part non-fiction drama, the series starts in regional competitions, where judges select the best performers in the country. The 60 finalists then head to Broadway, where they plunge into the eye of the theatrical storm for one intense week of rehearsals, coaching, mentoring, performance and competition.

The week culminates in The National High School Musical Theater Awards, a one night, star-studded event held at the Minskoff Theatre in New York. Here the judges select and anoint the nation’s leading male and female high school musical theater performers.

Follow the build-up and the heartbreak, the drama and disappointment in Broadway Or Bust, which will air on in 3 hour-long parts on PBS, starting this Sunday, September 9, from 8pm – 9pm, with part 1; part 2 will air the following Sunday, September 16; and part 3 of Sunday September 23.

Check your local listings for exact details.

Will it be Broadway or will it be a bust? Watch as 60 high school students from across the country come together in New York City to compete for a chance to perform on Broadway and their once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the 2012 National High School Musical Theater Awards.